Helicopter



Aug. 5, 1930. w. P. VAN LAMMERE'N 9 HELICOPTER Filed April 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Imaaafo'rk WMMQ Aug. 5, 1930. I w. P. VAN LAMMEREN HELICOPTER Filed April 4, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'maeizvky mzew WWW,

I Patented Aug. 5, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT orl-lca HELICOPTER Application filed April 4, 1928. Serial No. 267,46' l;

This invention relates to rotary driving means for helicopters, and other machines adapted to be driven b air or other fluid, or

to roduce an air or t er fluid flow.

6 ccording to the present invention, I provide rotary drivin means, of the type stated, comprising a num r of blades or equivalent rotatable about a common axis, and automatically adjustable during rotation, so that and the rotating blades or equivalent is effective for driving purposes in a single direction. Preferably the blades or equivalent are automatically adjustable during roarea of each blade or equivalent in a plane normal to its direction of rotation.

Means may be provided for changing the direction in whic the blades or equivalent are efiective for driving purposes, as, for example, in the case of a helicopter, which may first be made to rise vertically and thereafter fly horizontally. The blades or equivalent, while driving, are preferably main- 35 tained parallel to themselves by eccentric 'or other means, in which case, the eccentric or other means may be angularly adjustable about the common axis of the blades or equivalent. The blades may comprise a number of win or slats eac of which is mounted on av p1vot removed a short distance from its true longitudinal axis, which pivot is substantially parallel to the common axis about which the wings or .slats rotate, the said wings or slats, when in operative position, being supported b stop means, and being self-adjustable un er the action of the air or other fluid into and out of the said 0 erative 1position for driving purposes. he said s ats may. be arranged in sets and be supported by carriers arranged at e ual intervals round the rim of a blade w eel, or

use single pendulous wings.

For use in helicopters, I may use rotary driving means as above specified in combination with shutter means provided in the wing or wings of the helicopter, the said shutter means being adapted to close and instead of the said sets and carriers, I may the reaction between the air or other fluid tation so as to vary the area or projected open respectively when the helicopter rises and falls, and thereby im art buoyancy to the helicopter to assist in coping the latter stationary after it has risen and to assist in effecting gradual descent.

Different embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are side and plan views respectlvely of an embodiment comprising blades each of which is made of a series of unsymmetrically pivoted slats;

Fig. 3 is adiagrammatic view in side elevation of a helicopter embodying my invention.

Figs. 4 and 5 are side and plan views res ectively of an embodiment comprising b ades each of which consists of a singleunsymmetrically ivoted wing. Referring to igs. 1 and 2:-- 7 The blade wheel 9 and eccentric wheel 9 are aranged as shown in Fig. 1. At equal intervals on the rim of the wheel 9, carriers 8 are turnably mountedon the pins 11 so that theycan maintain the same inclination relatively to the ground, as determined by guide pins 8 rotatably connected to the rim of the eccentric wheel 3, the function of the pins 8 and 11 being to maintain the carriers 8 at the desired angle. By rotating the wheels 9 and 9} relatively to each other, the inclination of carriers 8-may be varied to change the direction of flight. Between each pair of side' members com prising the carriers 8, a number of'slats 10 are pivotally mounted. As will be seen from Fig. 1, the pivotal mounting of each slat 10 is arranged unsymmetrically relative to the breadth of the slat, so that, when the blade wheel 9 is stationary, the slats 10 normally lie vertical due to the larger and heavier part of each slat swinging below the pivotal mounting. On rotation oi, the blade wheel 95 9 by the power means of the machine, the

resulting air resistance automatically causes the slats 10 to take up the positions shown in Fi 1. That is to say, the ascending slats, an the slats at the top and bottom of the wheel 9 lie so that their individual axes are substantially parallel to the instantaneous line of 'motionof the respective carrier8,

while, in respect of the descending slats, the

- angle is changed by rotating the wheels relatively to each other as previously described. As will be understood, the axis of the eccentric wheel 9 can be angularly adjusted relatively to the axis of the blade wheel 9 when horizontal or other movement is desired.

" Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 The construction shown in these figures may be compared with the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, from which it diflI'ers 1n so far asa single pendulous wing 14 takes the place of each series of unsymmetrically pivoted slats; In addition, the pendulo'us wlngs 14 are each associated with a stop 15 (see Fig. 5) the said stop bein pivotally connected to the rim of both the lade wheel 14' fiddlt-IOD to the weight of the sai the eccen and the eccentric wheel 16 so that each such stop 15 as 1t travels round the axis of the blade wheel remains at a constant inclination 'relatlvely to the body of the machine. As will be seen from Fig. 4, an excess of pressure on the" underside of the descending wings 14 causes that when the machine has risen vertically in efiected in a horizontal direction.

- Referring, lastly, toFig. 3

The hehcopter, shown diagrammaticall has two'blade wheels 14' and 16 correspon mg tot e similar parts in Figs. 4 and 5. The wmg 2' of the hellcopter has pendulous slats the manner of a helicopter, flying can be 22 moiipted in openings made in the wing for that purse, the said slats automatically uncovering athe said openings when the helicopter 1s driven upwards, and, on the other hand, closing firmly when-upward movement ceases, for the purpose of imparting buo ancy to the helicopter when stationary, or when 1t is desiredthat the descent should be gradual.

It' will be understood that in the invention as described various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. For example, instead of usin a rotating eccentric wheel, I may use a relatively fixed eccentric guide, in an cecentric groove of which a crank pin on each blade or wing may engage. Moreover, the hemispherical shells herein described may be reversed by spring stops or cam means instead of the fixed stops illustrated.

It is also to be understood that the herein described machines may be fitted, if necessary or' desirable, with ordinary rudders and/or propellers. Likewise, it will he appreciated that the rotary drivin devices above described are also applicable or use in windmills, the axis of the blade wheels and eccentric wheels being in this case set vertically and being adjustable to suit diiierent directions of the wind. The said devices may also be used in connection with air fans or blowers.

I claim 1. Rotary fluid reactive driving means comprising in combination a blade wheel, an

eccentric wheel, a plurality of spaced blades carried by said blade wheel, each of said blades bein pivoted at one side of its cen- I ter of gravlty, stops on said eccentric wheel co-operating with said blades to maintain certain of said blades in operative position against the fluid pressure and to-permit other of said blades to assume an inoperative position of minimum resistance to the fluid pressure.l

2. Rotary fluid reactive driving means comprising a plurality of driving blades pivotally mounted on a rotary supporting frame at spaced intervals substantially equidistant from the axis of rotation of-said frame, said.

blades being eccentrically pivoted with respect to their centers of gravity and free to rotate about the pivotal centers under the force of the fluid reacting against the blades movement of said blades in one direction so as to bring said blades into a substantially fixed position as said blades rotate against said stops, and means for constraining said stops to move insubstantially fixed relation to a horizontal plane through the pivots of said blades, said stops being so arranged as r to cause the blades to occupy a osition at substantially right angles to the irection in which it is desired to cause bodily movement of said frame.

comprising a frame mounted to rotate about an axis, a second frame mounted to rotate about an a n's arallel to said first axis, arms connecting sald frames together at spaced 3. Rotary fluid reactive driving means' as said frame rotates, stops for limiting the I Y points about-their centers, stops on said arms,

and blades 'eccentrically pivoted with respect to their centersof gravity and pivoted at points removed from said stops, said bla es being adapted to abut against said stops when forced in a direction toward said stops by the fluid in which said drivin means rotates, said blades when inst sai sto s,

occupying sitions at an stantially rig t angles to t c direction in which sald reactive drivin means is adapted to move,

while said b ades are permitted tofollow the line of least resistance when said blades are being moved in said last-mentioned direction.

4. Rotary fluid reactive means comprising a frame mounted to rotate about an axis, asecond frame mounted to rotate about an axis parallel to saidfirst axis, arms connecting said frames together at spaced points about their centers, sto on said arms, and blades eccentrically pivoted with I respect to their centers of gravity and pivoted at blades 1n stops when %orce I in a direction toward said stops by the fluid in which said driving means ints removed from said stops, said rotates, said blades, when against said occupying positions at substantially ri angles to the direction in which said reactive drlving means is ada ted to move, while said blades are permitte to follow the line of least resistance when said blades are being moved in said last-mentioned direction, said frames being adjustable to vary the relation between their axes to thereby varythe relation between said stops and blades for va in turn the direction in which said b ades tend to move said reactive elements.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 26th day of March, A. D. 1928.

WlI-I-EI rmus val mill.

adapted to abut against said 

